A Thousand Years or More Ago
by Tursipiel Althins
Summary: A fic about the Hogwarts founders, best friends crushing on the same girl, and the real reason Salazar left the school... background music: DUN DUN DAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
1. Chapter 1: A Crush, A Lie, And Cheating

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Or any of the characters. Or any of that awesome stuff that J. K. Rowling has gifted the world with.

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**Chapter One**

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A thousand years or more ago, four friends (who somehow had all managed to end up with their first initials the same as their last) lived and loved together. They were all very powerful and were known throughout the land for their wonderful talents. They had even founded a school by the time the youngest of them reached the age of 25. That's right, I'm talking about Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. And yes, I did say _loved_.

"Salazar!" called Godric, looking for his best friend. "Where are you Sal?" Godric knew that Salazar hated being called Sal, so he called him that specifically hoping it would bother him enough to get him to come out of wherever he was hiding.

Salazar crawled out from under the stands, came up behind the utterly clueless Godric, (remember, brave does not necessarily mean smart…) and whispered in his ear, "Shut up, you dolt!"

"Sala-" Godric almost shouted, and the whispered, "Salazar! I found you!"

"Actually, technically, I found you…" said Salazar.

"Oh, fine. Whatever." Godric looked at where he judged Salazar must have crawled out of and realized that it had a perfect view of the Quidditch pitch, where Rowena was practicing with her team. He might not have been very smart, but Quidditch was one thing he knew all about. It took him a moment to think it out, but he eventually realized (sort of) what was going on. "Are you spying on Rowena?!"

"Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaybe…" said Salazar. If he were talking to someone smarter, he would have actually been nervous that they would figure out that he was spying on her because he was in love. However, it was only Godric, so he would be easy to fool.

"Why are you spying on her?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Because her team is better than mine."

"So?"

"So, I'm hoping to be able to find out her secret and use it against her." Salazar was good at coming up with lies on the spot, and they were often not very nice, which is why everyone thought of him as being cunning and evil. The cunning part was true, but he wasn't really evil. He just had a bit of a twisted imagination. (A/N: Like me!)

"But – but – but –" spluttered the incredibly naïve Godric, horrified that his best friend could do something so wrong.

"But what?" asked Salazar mischievously.

"But that's cheating!" said Godric, just finally getting it through his thick skull that that was exactly what his friend was doing. He had a habit of taking a while to figure out the obvious and then, when he did figure it out, stating it. Hanging out around a school, though, had gotten him somewhat smarter. (A/N: Yeah, I know someone this stupid shouldn't be a teacher, but look at Lockhart! Plus, he doesn't have to be incredibly intelligent when it comes to common sense, as long as he's good with magic, which he is, as he's the Transfiguration teacher.)

"Yeah, I know it's cheating."

"But that's wrong!"

"…Define wrong…"

"Er…Not right?"

"And what makes it not right?"

"It's – it's – it's wrong!"

"So?"

"Hiya, guys!" said Rowena, popping up seemingly out of nowhere. "What's going on?" She really knew exactly what was going on, even that Salazar was trying to cover up his crush on her and Godric was falling for it, but she wanted to get him to admit it for himself.

"We were just talking about what makes cheating wrong!" said Godric.

"…Interesting," said Rowena, though she really didn't find that interesting, as she had overheard most of the conversation anyway. "So what brought that up?"

"Well, I found Salazar and realized he was –" Godric started, only to be interrupted by Salazar's hand clamping down over his mouth.

"Doing absolutely nothing." Now that Rowena was here, he actually was nervous, because Rowena was, unlike Godric, very intelligent. "I was doing absolutely nothing, so I decided to see how much I could confuse Godric. He's funny when he's confused."

Godric tried to protest, but failed, as protesting through a friend's hand is not an easy feat.

"Well, that's not very nice," said Rowena, knowing full well that this was a lie. She had to give Salazar some credit, though, as he was a very good actor. In fact, if she didn't know him personally and know he had a crush on her, she would have believed him completely.

"I know it's not, but it sure is funny!" With that, Salazar bolted, dragging Godric along by the arm, finally releasing his mouth. As they ran away, Rowena could swear she heard Godric saying, "Wait, what just happened?" and couldn't help but laugh.

"Boys…" she said with a sigh.

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So, what will happen next? Will Godric discover Salazar's secret crush? Will Salazar reveal his crush to Rowena? Will Godric ever find a straight answer as to what makes cheating wrong? Find when I eventually get around to writing my next chappie! (Don't count on it being soon, as I'm currently at a loss for ideas…)


	2. Chapter 2: What To Do?

Disclaimer: Nope, I still don't own Harry Potter, but not for lack of trying… Insert evil laugh here

Godric was sitting at his desk, sorting through a pile of essays on the difference between being an animagus and being transfigured into an animal, when he heard a knock on his office door. _Ah, he must be here for his third detention of the week…_ "Come in!" he said.

"Thank you sir," said a fourth-year Gryffindor, walking through the door. His bright red hair was almost glowing in the dim candlelight. He was always polite when talking to teachers, but that was just a cover. Behind their backs, he was the biggest troublemaker in the school. "So, what will I be doing tonight, sir?"

"No need to be so formal. After all, I know you're not really much of a goody two-shoes behind everyone's backs…" was Godric's reply.

"Alright, sir – I mean, alright." He seemed slightly flustered by the request to drop his act. "So, what'll it be tonight? I mean, last time I helped you correct papers, Monday I washed windows, and last week I organized your billywig sting collection."

_I could probably make some kind of candy or something out of those, _he thought. _And probably make a ton of money…_

"I think I'll just have you write lines tonight."

"Okay. What should I write? 'I will not bewitch my classmates' books to fly up to the ceiling and then dive-bomb their owners?'"

"That sounds good," Godric laughed. "And since it's so long, you only have to write it 100 times, rather than the 200 I was going to make you do." He conjured a chair and a small desk off to the side of his and got a quill, inkwell, and blank piece of parchment out of his desk and set them down on it. The student went over to it and sat down, picked up the quill, dipped it in the inkwell, and was about to start writing, when Godric said to him, "Don't forget to write your name on the top of the paper."

_Yes, because everyone else would have to write this, too,_ he thought sarcastically. He complied, however. _Matthew Weasley._ He often thought about weird his name sounded when said quickly, because his first name ended with the same letter his last name started with, so it blended together into one word and made it sound like his last name was "Easily". It didn't really matter, though, because most people just called him Matt.

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Salazar flopped down on his bed. He had been pacing around his chamber for a while, trying to think of what to do. He had liked Rowena for a long time, but he had never got up the courage to tell her. He wanted to let her know, but he was afraid that knowing he liked her would scare her off if she didn't like him. He didn't want to lose the friendship they had had for the better part of both of their lives ("better" being both quantitative and qualitative). However, he didn't know how much longer he would be able to stand being around her without snapping. If he did snap, he knew he wouldn't be able to stop himself from doing something drastic, unexpected, bold, and incredibly romantic that would result in total humiliation on his part if it turned out that the feeling wasn't mutual. One image that kept popping into his head was of himself bursting into one of Rowena's Charms lessons, walking up to the front of the classroom, and, without a word, kissing her in front of the whole class. This plan had its benefits, as Rowena was usually too kindhearted to reject someone in front of a whole class like that, but it also had its faults: if the students didn't see Salazar and Rowena together later, they were bound to figure out that she rejected him. What to do.

There were far too many thoughts racing around in his head. He got up, crossed the room, and opened a cabinet. In the cabinet was a stone basin with mysterious runes carved around its base and filled with a silvery substance that was not quite liquid, nor was it quite gaseous. This was his latest invention: a Pensieve. He put his wand to his temple and pulled it away, drawing a glowing string of the same substance and added it to the basin. He repeated this action several times. When he was through, he prodded the thoughts that were now swirling around in the bowl with his wand. The surface cleared up and showed a perfect image of Rowena's face. He prodded them again, and, to his great surprise, they reformed into another face: Helga's. _No,_ he thought. _Not that again. That's long over. There's no going back there._ He moved to turn away, but something caught his eye. The image was moving. It was silent, but there was no mistaking the words those immaculate lips were forming. _I love you._

_That's what you told me, that night,_ Salazar thought to himself. _That was what you led me to believe, and then the next day you went on like nothing had ever happened._

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Godric sat there in his office. Matt had just left, having finished his hundred lines. Godric was cleaning up his desk so he could get to bed.

As he closed the last drawer in his desk and stood up to leave, his thoughts left schoolwork and turned to more important matters: Rowena. He knew he liked her. He was pretty sure she didn't like him, at least, not that way. He also had a sneaking suspicion that Salazar liked her, too. So now he didn't know what to do. This was a familiar feeling to him, but this time it seemed more urgent. He really wanted to tell Rowena, but he didn't know if she would like him back. Also, he didn't want to lose the friendship he had with Salazar. And then, what about poor Helga? She had no one, as far as Godric could tell. He had thought she liked Salazar for a long time, but about a year ago, it seemed to stop. She stopped giving him sly looks, stopped spying on him, stopped flirting, stopped everything. He didn't know what happened, but at the time it didn't seem to bode well for their friendship. But she just went back to being friends with him, though he seemed to act, even now, like she had done something that he could never forgive her for. It had gone away mostly by now, but every now and then, it could still be noticed. He mulled this all over in his head as he walked into his bedchamber.

_So what do I do?_ thought Godric in frustration, lying down in his bed. _ How do I tell her without scaring her off or making an enemy out of Salazar?_ He fell into a fitful sleep, dreaming of many different things, most of which had absolutely nothing to do with his dilemma.

Hope you liked it! Sorry for the long wait, but I was having some problems. Not with my computer, mostly with me. The biggest of said "problems" was laziness, closely followed by writer's block and a brief stint of pure apathy, with homework thrown in there somewheres. Anyway, after all that time to think, I've got a ton of new ideas, so hopefully it won't take as long this time. But until next time, may your shadows never lessen!


	3. Chapter 3: The Other Side of The Issue

Disclaimer: I still have not gained possession of Harry Potter. Maybe someone will get it for me for my birthday…

Rowena lay on her bed thinking. _So what if he _does_ like me?_ she thought. _What am I supposed to do about it?_ Deep down, she had been wrestling with her feelings ever since she found out Salazar liked her, which was not long after he found out himself. Did she like him back? Was he "just a friend"? Or was he more? She couldn't figure it out.

"I don't know what to do, Fawkes," she said aloud to her phoenix. "I think I like him, but I'm not sure. I know he likes me. A lot. But I don't know if I like him that much. Grr! Why can't this be as simple as magic is? Why can't love be logical?!" Rowena groaned in frustration. She had a very analytical mind and could therefore figure out the math problems and puzzles you gave her, but she had trouble comprehending something as abstract as love. "Why is it so hard, Fawkes? Why is it so hard to find someone to love?"

Fawkes nodded his head in understanding and gave a soft, almost dove-like coo of support. He may not have been able to talk, but he was incredibly smart and could understand exactly what Rowena was saying. He ruffled up his feathers and hunched up his wings as if to give a shrug to make the universal "I don't know" gesture.

Rowena lay in silence for a while, thoughts buzzing around in her head like a swarm of angry bees as she tried to at least make a little bit of sense out of her predicament. She worried the problem like a dog worries an old bone, but could make neither heads nor tails of it. After some time, her thoughts finally abandoned the situation with Salazar and turned, instead, to Godric. She had seen the way he had been looking at her lately. It was the same look Salazar had given her when he first started liking her. She also knew, however illogical it might have seemed, she sort of enjoyed it. _No!_ she said to herself. _Not Godric. You're not ending up with a moron like him! He's funny, he's a friend – he's not your type!_

_But love isn't logical,_ said another voice in her head. _You said so yourself._

_Yes, but – but – but –_

_See? Now you even sound like him._

_No!_

_Yes._

_This doesn't even concern you. Why are you back here? What do you want this time?_

Anything that concerns you concerns me. You should know that by now. After all, you've known me your whole life. And as for what I want this time: What do I always want, sister?

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Helga woke with a start. She was an early-to-bed-early-to-rise type of person, but she was having a fitful rest that night. She sat up in her bed, trying to remember the dream she had been having, while at the same time trying to block it from her memory. It was about Salazar. She knew she still loved him. She knew he still loved her. She also knew that something about him…changed her…

She shuddered to think of that fateful night. How could one mistake, one misunderstanding between friends, one terrible misinterpretation of feelings, one night, turn her entire life upside-down while it barely seemed to affect him? How could he act like it was hi that was hurt? How could he possibly know the trouble she had been going through to keep their secret safe, safe even from him? How could he?

"Maybe I should've told him," she said aloud to no one in particular, which was good, because there was no one in particular within earshot that really felt like listening. "Maybe this is just too much for me to handle by myself. After all, I'm only 27!"

_No,_ she thought. _You're being stupid. You're being weak. You can't give up. You've got to be strong. After all, it's not just you that you have to support now._

A baby started crying from its cradle in the corner. "You don't want me to get any sleep, do you?" said Helga. She lay back down for a minute, exhausted from her day's work planting flowers around the edge of the dark forest with her Herbology class. The crying became more insistent. "Alright, alright, I'm coming," she said, reluctantly getting up to cross the room for another midnight feeding. "You take after your father too much. Never accepts being ignored, that Salazar Slytherin."

Hope you liked it. Told you it wouldn't take as long!


	4. Chapter 4: More Pointless Speculation

Disclaimer: No, I still don't own Harry Potter, but if this next scheme works smoothly…well…

Disclaimer: No, I _still_ don't own Harry Potter, but if this next scheme works smoothly…well…

A/N – I know it's been forever since I've updated this story, and I know most of the people who were actually bothering to wait for an update have probably long given up on me. If anyone still cares, though, I'm back in action and writing again, so hopefully I can at least win one or two of you back! Sorry about the wait, and I have nothing to blame but my own laziness and total lack of motivation. Here goes with a renewed attempt to actually finish something in my life!

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Salazar walked into the Great Hall for breakfast. As he approached the table at the top of the hall, he saw that the other three were already there and talking animatedly over their porridge. Salazar made a mental note to find some house elves that knew how to cook more than just porridge. They currently only had one good cook, and he didn't have time to worry about breakfast. There were so many people to cook for that he had to start as soon as he woke up just to get lunch and dinner made in time.

As he got closer, he realized that, judging by the fact that Helga was nodding off in the middle of a conversation, Rowena had dark circles under her eyes, and Godric had just fallen asleep and landed face-first in his porridge, they had all had as much trouble sleeping as he had. They were talking animatedly to try to stay awake, and it obviously wasn't working.

"Good thing today's Saturday," he heard Rowena say to Helga after shaking her awake for the fifth time this morning. "Otherwise we'd have to teach. I don't think I could stay awake through a single class." She turned around to Godric and gave him a sharp poke in the ribs.

"Wazzat?!" shouted Godric, shooting upright so fast it gave Salazar a head rush just watching him. He looked around and realized that he was no longer dreaming about being munched on by a giant talking brontosaurus, but rather was in the Great Hall eating breakfast with his friends, and also that his face was covered in porridge. "Oh," he said. He picked up his napkin, wiped his face off with it, and then promptly fell back to sleep on his chosen pillow of porridge.

"So," said Salazar approaching the table. "I see you guys had a bad night. Who held an all-night party and didn't invite me?" he joked.

"Ha, ha, very funny," said Rowena, by far the most a wake of the three at the table. Helga was giggling uncontrollably as if Salazar had said something absolutely hilarious, something she did only when she was extremely overtired.

After breakfast, all four of them headed back to their bedchambers to catch a few hours' more sleep. They parted ways in the entrance hall and headed off in their appropriate directions: Salazar to the dungeons, Godric and Rowena to their towers on opposite ends of the castle, and Helga to her second-floor room overlooking the greenhouses.

When Salazar arrived in his dungeon, he emptied his head once more and stared at the faces swirling in the Pensieve, Rowena's immaculate face melting into Helga's beguilingly seductive one, then changing back to the first. He lay down on his bed and tried to think of nothing but Rowena's smile as he drifted off to sleep.

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Rowena flopped back on her bed and tried in earnest to sleep before she had the chance to think, but to no avail. She simply couldn't clear her mind. She finally got up and paced around her bed. This quickly bored her, so she walked over to Fawkes instead. "Oh, Fawkes," she sighed, stroking his gorgeous plumage. "I just don't know what to do." She didn't know how to handle Salazar's feelings toward her, or what her feelings were toward Godric. She wasn't sure what was going on with Helga, who had grown more reserved and distant over the last few months. As for her Sister…well, Rowena didn't even know how to approach this issue.

This was a problem she had grown up with, but it got steadily worse as she continued to mature. She blamed her parents entirely. After all, inexplicable complications were only to be expected when you were raised as a guinea pig for your parents' twisted experiments. Oh, they dabbled in a little bit of everything, as long as it was strange and dangerous. It was from growing up around bizarre crossbreeds and strange experimental potions and books on everything from alchemy to necromancy and everything in between that Rowena had attained her vast knowledge and unquenchable curiosity. But it was from being called upon whenever her parents needed a human test subject that she had attained her darkest secret: the evil spirit that lurked in her mind, summoned from the time of the pharaohs and imprisoned in the back of an innocent child's pure, uncorrupted mind. As Rowena grew older, the spirit that called itself her Sister grew stronger, and Rowena knew that someday it would break through the defenses she had learned to build around it and take control of her body. She dreaded that day, and every time Sister surfaced reminded her that it was drawing nearer. The worst part about the whole thing was not knowing when it was going to happen. She could do nothing but wait and hope. But for now, she needed to sleep.

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Helga got to her bedroom and walked over to the cradle in the corner. She knew it was cruel to keep a baby locked up in her room all this time, but what else was she supposed to do? Let him out and let everyone else know what she and Salazar had done that fateful night? No, it was better this way. At least for now, it was safer to keep the child a secret, even from his father. She couldn't even imagine what would happen if that useless oaf found out he was a father. Salazar was not exactly parent material. In fact, she wouldn't rust him with her own life, never mind a defenseless infant's, cocky git that he was. She still hadn't forgiven him for that night…taking advantage of the love-struck, glassy-eyed, alcohol-induced state she had been in…of course, he didn't know she was drunk at the time. She had always been very good a hiding that sort of thing from others, no matter how much it impaired her judgment. She sighed, gazing at her baby. He had his father's eyes. _He may be a useless git_, she told herself, _but I still love him anyway._

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Godric entered his bedroom, lay down on his bed, and was asleep before his head even hit the pillow.

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So, there's the very, _very_ long-awaited chapter four. I hope the few of you who are actually still bothering to read this like it. Dubious.Mischief.Maker, I know you and KennedyRox992 will a least read it, so if I don't get reviews from you two, expect an angry phone call! Just kidding…I'll just bug you until you do review it…


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